ALBANY - Nick Libous, son of the late state Sen. Thomas Libous, launched a bid for state Assembly on Tuesday, vowing to run against longtime incumbent Clifford Crouch.

Libous, of Deposit, had been rumored for weeks to have interest in the 122nd Assembly district, which includes much of Broome, Delaware and Chenango counties and part of Otsego County.

He will now face off in a Republican primary against Crouch, who has represented the Southern Tier district since 1995.

"We need to cut taxes to help families and to create new jobs, and we need to bring new ideas and a whole new energy to Albany," Libous said in a statement. "I am ready to go the state Capitol and fight for hardworking taxpayers and their families."

His father was a power broker in the Southern Tier during his 14 terms in the state Senate, rising to the influential position of deputy majority leader before he was removed from office after he was convicted in 2015 of lying to the FBI.

Tom Libous' conviction — which centered on statements about his efforts to secure his other son, Matthew, a job with a politically connected law firm — was vacated upon his death in 2016 because his appeal was still pending.

Nick Libous works with his brother as a vice president of Wireless Construction Solutions, a company that services cellphone towers.

Crouch, 73, held a re-election rally last week, when he was endorsed by a handful of lawmakers, business owners and the Republican chairs of Broome, Chenango, Otsego and Delaware counties.

It was a show of institutional strength for Crouch, a Republican from Bainbridge, Chenango County.

"I’m proud to back (Crouch's) re-election campaign and am confident that he’ll enjoy strong support from Broome County Republicans and voters from every political background this fall," said Broome County Republican Chair Bijoy Datta, who was once on Tom Libous' staff.

Crouch's district includes most of eastern and central Broome County, but not the city of Binghamton.

“I’m asking the voters to keep me working for them so I can continue advocating for common-sense solutions to create jobs, keep a lid on taxes, and ensure our constitutional rights are protected," Crouch said in a statement last week.